Prescriber drug diversion cases
134 documented cases, 1997–2026.
Figures are derived from the 931 case records collected on this site, not from any official total. A record counts here when its Role field, or failing that its title, names one of these roles: 20 from the Role field, 114 from the title.
Roles counted: Physician / surgeon (124) · Dentist / oral surgery (6) · Veterinarian (4).
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $100,000
Smallest $5,000 · largest $956,709
Median of 22 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 20 of 134 records. 114 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 12 months
Longest: 276 months (23 years)
37 prison or jail terms stated in 37 of 134 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Drug classes involved
| Drug class | Records |
|---|---|
| Opioids | 75 |
| Other controlled substance | 53 |
| Benzodiazepines | 10 |
| Stimulants | 9 |
| Anesthetics / sedatives | 4 |
| Anabolic steroids | 1 |
| No drug stated | 2 |
A record naming drugs from two classes counts in both.
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 22 |
| New York | 9 |
| Ohio | 9 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 |
| California | 7 |
| Michigan | 7 |
| Hawaii | 5 |
| Illinois | 4 |
36 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 112 |
| Hospital / health system | 13 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 6 |
| No setting stated | 3 |
Other roles
Cases
Newest first · page 4 of 6, 76–100 of 134
- Pennsylvania Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Georgia Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Georgia · Other / not classified
- Arkansas Physician Convicted in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Arkansas · Other / not classified
- Bucks County Dentist Pays $150,000 for Opioid Diversion and Recordkeeping Violations 2019-12-31 · Bucks County, Pennsylvania · Dental / oral surgery
- Wausau Physician Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl Patches from Patients 2019-07-18 · Wausau, Wisconsin · Hospital / health system
- Physician found guilty of operating a pill mill and prescribing opioids without legitimate medical purpose 2019-06 · Canton, OH · Other / not classified
- Physician at Green Mountain Family Medicine diverted controlled substances by writing staff members' prescriptions for personal and family use 2019-05 · Rutland and White River Junction, VT · Other / not classified
- Hilo clinic physician and employees accused of unlawfully distributing opioids 2019-02 · Hilo, HI · Other / not classified
- New York Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2019) 2019 · New York · Other / not classified
- California Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2019) 2019 · California · Other / not classified
- Physician charged with health care fraud and distributing Suboxone without medical necessity through a clinic 2018-11 · Dublin, OH · Other / not classified
- Pain clinic physician indicted for prescribing fentanyl, oxycodone and other controlled substances without patient examinations 2018-06 · Hamilton, OH · Other / not classified
- UC San Diego anesthesiologist's license revoked after alleged sedative diversion and saline substitution 2018-04 · Hospital / health system
- Alabama Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · Alabama · Other / not classified
- Utah health system paid $1 million to resolve clinic drug diversion allegations 2017-12-08 · Hospital / health system
- Schaumburg psychiatrist temporarily suspended over boundary violations and controlled substance prescribing 2017-10 · Other / not classified
- Palos Park physician's medical and controlled substance licenses temporarily suspended over prescribing 2017-10 · Other / not classified
- Physician allegedly took back patients' prescribed controlled substances for personal use and falsified records to justify prescribing 2017-07 · Moriarty, NM · Other / not classified
- Physician accused of taking back prescribed opioids from patients for personal use and falsifying records 2017-07 · Moriarty, NM · Other / not classified
- Missouri Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2017) 2017 · Missouri · Other / not classified
- Michigan Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2017, case 2) 2017 · Michigan · Other / not classified
- Michigan Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2017) 2017 · Michigan · Other / not classified
- Casper physician suspended over alleged excessive painkiller prescriptions and oxycodone conspiracy 2016-12 · Casper, WY · Other / not classified
- West Virginia Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2016) 2016 · West Virginia · Other / not classified
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Disclaimer
Case summaries are based on public records (DOJ press releases, court documents, licensing-board orders, news reports). Charges are allegations unless a conviction is noted. Analysis is educational, not legal advice.
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